The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-06-04
9WMADGEPAID THE DOCTOR.


Father had been sick long time,
nree years Madgesthought, although
& had not really been more than that
many months but. then Madge was
i}tle thing and month to her
med as long as a year to most peo-
She remembered the day though,
h10ther, crying, had told her
1<l3er had failed and she must be
4od child and help him to bear it.
10 one explained the meaning of
f&Iled to her, so she had thought then
and continued to think that falling
was strange disease which took the
color from fathers face, gave him
thar dreadful cough, and made him
81 weak he had to lie on the sofa
n arly all day long, with the doctor
cdming everxmofning and shaking
.nis head graveiy AT MN for being no
better. They did not move away
from their pretty home as al first
they feared would be necessary, but
Madge noticed many changes, and
while her tongue was silent her brain
was vey busy. First the servants
disappeared and mother did all their
work, helped occasionally by her
elder daughter when she could be
spared fDm the school where she
taught. Then. they sat no more in
the pleasant sitting room, it was too
cold. for one morning the fire had
gone outlnd it was never rekindled,
mother shaking her head sadly when
Madge wanted to try her hand at
lighting it. There was always a
warm fire in fathers room, and he
never kntw the fires were out in all
the other looms in the house except
the kitch,n. Many time Madge
could hav cried with the pain in her
little cold fingers, but she tried to
laugh instead, and mother called her
a brave little girl. Christmas had
come and gone. Such a sad Christ
mas, no tree, no stocking, only for
Madge there we're five big silver dol
lars from a godmother who never
forgot her. And now. as New Years
Day drew near, shadow came upon
mothers face, reflected on the fair
young brow of her elder daughter,
and the DOCTORS tread in the hall
would deepen it.
One night Madge heard her mother
say to her sister, HE does not know
our circumstances, he sees your father
kkept in comfort and does not realize
It takes our all to accomplish it. ]
,annot see how we can ever pay him
And yet your father would have died
Without a DOCTOR" Then the tears
mad been wiped hastily away at the
sound of her husbands voice calling
her. Madge crept from her corner tc
, her sisters side.
"What is the matter. Alice? ? Why
does mother ry?"
"You would not understand
Madge."
"Yes l would, too; you always
think can't understand things"
"Why should you be worried wher
you cannot do anything to help?"
81 do help" Madge said indig
nantIy, II dust fathers room, anC
watch his fire. and run errands fol
him."
"To be sure you do, you are reg
ular little busy bee; but 1 mean
help in this trouble"
"But Alice. tell me, please tell me
don't want to be left out of all th'
bad times"
"Will you promise notsto breathe
it before father ?'
"Of course. Alice, 1 will not tel
father anything to worry him."
swell, mother is afraid DIR. Snook'
bill will be very large, he has been t.
see father every day. and she has no
one cent of money to pay him.
father knew it it would break hi
heart, for we never had a bill befor
In all our lives we could not pay"-
then seeing the little girls face cloud
ing over sadly she kissed the ros.
lips-"there, Madge, do not worr.
your little self, you cannot help us
so run away and forget your trouble
in dream-land."
There was no running for Madg
that night, slowly she crept up tn
stairs and, in spite of the cold, stoo'
by the window long time thinking
If the doctor was not paid he woulC
not come any more, then fathe
would find out about the bill ant
grow worse and worse. Somebod.
must pay him. the money must com
from somewhere, and she seemed tn
only person to do it, for there in
little bank upon the shelfthe five dol
lars were quietly reposing. Coult